Geek Central isn’t so bad, at least not when I was there last week to get some stuff for my brother in law in China (because it’s worse over there – you can hardly get any non-pirated stuff for a reasonable retail price, apparently).
At several shops on the fourth and fifth floors, I found sales staff to be polite and helpful to the point where, when they saw me to be on the verge of overspending on a particular product, asked what my (or my brother-in-law’s) purpose for the product was, and then recommended a cheaper alternative because what we intended to get was, in their opinion, a bit of an overkill.
Of course, customers unaccustomed to Sim Lim Square Salesspeak might find the way they help you rude or intrusive, because the conversation went something like:
Salesman: So you want to buy the Seagate Barracuda 1TB?
Me: Yes. And an external combo casing – with firewire and USB.
Salesman: Firewire and USB, can. Wait. You want to take this HD (brandishes HD) and put it in an external case?
Me: Um.. yah.
Salesman: Har? What for?
Me: To use as external drive lah.
Salesman: Har? But this HD is server grade one leh.
Me: Yah, I know.
Salesman: Also can lah, up to you lah, but if me hor, I won’t use so high end HD.
Me: Then what would you use?
Salesman: Cheaper drive lah. Also will last quite long. How many people in your house? 2, 3? Good enough lah.
Me: OK, if you say so.
Salesman: Yah. I get for you the lower end one. Eh? Wait wait wait. You want to use for external drive is it?
Me: Yah.
Salesman: Haiyah, then get the all-in-one lah. Maxtor or Seagate also have. Good enough for your use. Cheaper also.
Me: Issit?
Salesman: Yah. But up to you lah.
Me: You say what is what lor. OK, Maxtor one how much?
I dunno. I didn’t find it pushy. Plus, I got further discounts when I paid by NETS at several shops.
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